Spring assembly



March 3, 1970 E. G. on 3,497,880

srnme ASSEMBLY Filed June 9, 1967 INVENTOR.

United States Patent O 3,497,880 SPRING ASSEMBLY Ernst G. Ott, Essex, England, assignor to Lear Siegler, Inc., Santa Monica, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 9, 1967, Ser. No. 644,934 Int. Cl. A47c 23/12, 23/00 US. Cl. -247 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A furniture spring assembly including a pair of first and second spaced frame members interconnected by a plurality of spring members. Each spring member includes an offset portion disposed in overlapping relationship with an adjacent spring member and a clip secures the overlapping portions of adjacent spring members together, thereby eliminating the necessity for a border wire.

fore a more expensive assembly.

Accordingly, it is an object and feature of this invention to provide an improved spring assembly which does not utilize the well-known border wire.

In general, these and other objects and features of this invention may be attained in a spring assembly including a plurality of substantially parallel spring members which are attached to spaced frame members. Each spring member includes a substantially V-shaped portion at each end thereof with one leg of each V-shaped portion attached to one of the respective frame members. The outward or other leg of each V-shaped portion is integrally attached to a laterally offset portion which extends into overlapping relationship with an adjacent spring member so that the overlapping portions of adjacent spring members may be clipped together, thereby eliminating the necessity for a separate border wire.

Other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the instant invention;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view showing a modification of the instant invention.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, a spring assembly constructed in accordance with the instant invention is generally shown at 10. The spring assembly includes a pair of spaced first and second frame members 12 and 14 respectively. The frame members 12 and 14 may be interconnected by various members, one of which is shown at 16 in FIGURES 1 and 4.

Also included is a plurality of substantially parallel spring members, each of which is generally indicated at 20. Each spring member extends between the frame members 12 and 14. The frame members 12 and 14 have portions 22 struck therefrom so that the ends of the respec- 3,497,880 Patented Mar. 3, 1970 "ice tive spring members 20 may be attached to the respective frame members 12 and 14.

Each spring member comprises an integral piece of -wire having various bends therein and includes a first generally V-shaped section as defined by the integrally connected loops or zigzags 24. One leg of the first V- shaped sections is attached to the first frame 12 by way of a tunnel or struck out portion 22. There is also included an angularly disposed portion 26 which is in engagement with the frame member 12 as best illustrated in FIGURE 3. The outward or other leg of each of the first V-shaped portions is integrally connected to an offset portion 28. Each offset portion 28 extends laterally to overlap the offset portion of an adjacent spring member. There is included means comprising the clips 30 for securing the overlapping portions of adjacent spring memberstogether. As will be evident from the description thus far, therefore, each spring member includes a laterally offset portion disposed in overlapping relationship with an adjacent spring member so that the necessity for the well-known border wire is eliminated.

Each spring member 20 also includes a support section 32 which is integrally connected to the offset portion 28 and extends toward the second frame member 14. In addition, each spring member 20 includes a second generally V-shaped section as defined by the loops or zigzags 34 and which has one leg thereof attached to the second frame member 14 by way of a tunnel 22. It will be noted that the second V-shaped portion also includes an angularly disposed portion 36 for engaging the frame member 14 as best illustrated in FIGURE 3. The second V-shaped section has one leg thereof attached to the frame member 14 and the other leg thereof integrally connected to a second offset portion 38. The offset portion 38 is in turn integrally connected to the support section 32. The second offset portion 38 extends laterally into overlapping relationship with a like portion of an adjacent spring member and is secured thereto by a clip 30. Both offset portions 28 and 38 are offset in the same direction.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 3, the support section 32 of each spring member 20 is substantially above the attachment of the spring member to the frame members 12 and 14. In the modification illustrated in FIGURE 4, however, the support section 32' of each respective spring member is substantially offset laterally of the attachments of the respective spring members to the frame members 12 and 14. In other words, in the modification illustrated in FIGURE 4, the support sections 32 are laterally offset from the first and second V-shaped portions with which they are integrally connected. Among other advantages, the embodiment of FIGURE 4 requires less wire.

The invention has been described in an illustrative manner and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A spring assembly comprising; a pair of spaced first and second frame members, a plurality of identical and integral spring members extending bet-ween said frame members, each of said spring members including an offset portion disposed in overlapping relationship with an adjacent spring member, and means securing the overlapping portions of adjacent spring members together to provide a border wire defined by said overlapping portions.

2. A spring assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spring members are generally parallel to one another, each spring member includes a first generally V- shaped section having one leg thereof attached tosaid first frame member and the other leg thereof integrally connected to said offset portion which extends laterally in one direction to overlap with the offset portion of an adjacent spring member.

3. A spring assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein each spring member includes a support section integrally connected to said offset portion and extending toward the second frame member.

4. A spring assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein each spring member includes; a second generally V- shaped section having one leg thereof attached to said second frame member, a second offset portion integrally interconnecting said support section and said second V- shaped portion and extending laterally into overlapping relationship with a like portion of an adjacent spring member, and means interconnecting said second overlapping portions of adjacent spring members together.

5. A spring assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the support section of each spring member is substantially above the attachments of the spring member to said frame members.

6. A spring assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the support section of each spring member is substantially offset laterally of the attachments thereof to said frame members.

7. A spring assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said second offset portions are offset in the same direction as the first-mentioned offset portions.

8. A spring assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said means for securing the overlapping offset portions together comprises a plurality of clips each of which is disposed about overlapping offset portions.

9. A spring assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein each spring member includes integrally connected loops or zig-zags in the respective V-shaped sections thereof.

10. A spring assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein the support section of each spring member is substantially above the attachments of the spring member to said frame members.

11. A spring assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein the support section of each spring member is substantially offset laterally of the attachments thereof to said frame members.

12. A spring assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein the leg of each V-shaped portion includes an angularly disposed portion which is in engagement with the associated frame member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,087,719 4/1963 Flint 267l07 2,047,411 7/1936 Freund 5247 XR 2,462,539 2/ 1949 Neely et al. 5247 XR BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner ANDREW M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 5260; 267107 

